Slashdot Log In
Battlestar Galactica To Continue After All
Posted by
CowboyNeal
on Sat May 12, 2007 08:16 AM
from the setting-things-straight dept.
from the setting-things-straight dept.
turboflux writes "According to executive producer David Eick, Battlestar Galactica is still an open-ended adventure and it will not be ending after the 4th season as previously reported. Evidently Edward James Olmos jumped the gun on confirming the show would be ending while attending the Saturn Awards this month. Eick goes on to say that the fourth season would actually be 22 episodes (2 more than prior seasons) rather than the reported 13 episode order."
Related Stories
[+]
News: Final Season of Battlestar Galactica Confirmed 500 comments
Ant writes "Via Dark Horizons, IESB reported from the 10th annual Saturn awards yesterday, and spoke with Battlestar Galactica stars Edward James Olmos and Katee Sackhoff. Olmos confirmed that, as far as the show that's been running so far, the fourth season will be the last one. It's currently slated to start airing in January of 2008. 'Olmos says "This will probably be the most extraordinary season of 'Battlestar'. It's the final season, so it's definitely going to be the most vicious. As far as we know, in respects of the way we have this show constructed, this is the final season." Sackhoff says "I think part of the problem is that it's an expensive show. It is [a great show], but we don't have the viewership that a great show should get."'"
[+]
News: Battlestar Galactica's End Officially After Season 4 356 comments
Ant writes "First it was off, and then it was back on. Yahoo is now reporting on a release put out by David Eick and Ronald Moore stating that they will conclude Battlestar Galactica at the end of Season 4. They said it was a creative decision, and that they wanted to end the show on their own terms. The show was always planned with a definite beginning, middle and end, unlike many other sci-fi shows and dramas. Sci Fi Channel has accepted the decision. The news had been foreshadowed this spring through statements from stars Edward James Olmos and Katee Sackhoff. Ronald Moore himself had said that the show was heading into its final act, although he said the final act could be one or two more seasons. Now we know that the final act will last for one season. The special 2-hr. episode 'Razor' starts off the season in November. The first regular episodes of Season 4 will air in early 2008."
This discussion has been archived.
No new comments can be posted.
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
Full
Abbreviated
Hidden
Loading... please wait.
Battlestar Craptastica (Score:5, Insightful)
Yes I liked the show but the drama crap and all the story rewrites to try to find a new audience is pissing me off.
Re:Battlestar Craptastica (Score:5, Interesting)
1) The Cylons destroys the BSG
2) The BSG destroys the Cylons
3) The Cylons leave the BSG and humanity alone
4) They end up in a fairytale peace
5) They find earth and earth kicks the Cylon's ass
In any case, it's pretty much the end of the story which means they can't actually come to a showdown. They've tried every variation of tangling them together with both sides coming out alive but it gets old. I mean the Cylons must be very close to the prize for most indecisive killers in history. So what can you do if you can't have them actually clash in a meaningful way? Well, you get all the tedium of being on the run. Resource shortages, black markets, equipment failure, insurgents and sabotage, Adama's "keep us going at all cost" attitude, a few skirmishes and mourning a few fighter pilots here and there and some religious search for the way but there's no real dynamic in the show. The basic premise is exactly the same as it was in episode one. They're the BSG, and they're being chased by Cylons, looking for Earth.
BSG is a show standing still. The only difference is that as of late it's been bad drama instead of good drama.
Parent
Re:Battlestar Craptastica (Score:5, Funny)
6) They find earth, the Cylons kick earth's ass, but Adama and the BSG crew head through the Stargate to the Alpha Site to begin construction on another Battlestar. O'Neill, Thor, and Oma Desala get cameos.
Hey, it could happen.
Parent
Re:Battlestar Craptastica (Score:4, Funny)
My god, you have no imagination.
Imagine this: Galactica 2010. Galactica reaches earth, and a small scouting party go to Earth to learn about the culture and try to find a place to live. They have cheesy flying motorcycles and the children have superhuman jumping ability. In the last shows of that series, Starbuck, who was presumed dead in the current series, will be found to not have died, but to have crashed on a Cylon-occupied world, and in his effort to survive, repairs and befriends a cylon (maybe they can become mates, who knows?). It'd be a great show! Really!
What? That's been done before? Shit!
Parent
Re:Battlestar Craptastica (Score:5, Funny)
Galactica 2010. Galactica reaches earth, and a small scouting party go to Earth to learn about the culture and try to find a place to live. They have cheesy flying motorcycles
LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA ...
(And you younglings think George Lucas raped YOUR childhoods - at least he waited sixteen years; Glen Larson only waited nine months.)
Parent
Re:Battlestar Craptastica (Score:4, Interesting)
You people are forgetting the most obvious conclusion to the series. I came to this right after the pilot movies.
You see, kobal wasn't the home of the human race. It was a planet colonized by seeder ships from Earth thousands of years ago. We'll call humans from Earth humans 1.0 and the seeded humans, humans 2.0. Well humans 2.0 build a civilization apart from human 1.0 on Earth. Mean while humans 1.0 are carefully watching over humans 2.0 from a distance. When human 2.0 are threatened by a natural disaster humans 1.0 guide human 2.0 to safety at the new colonies. This is where the names of the ancient gods came into play.
During all this or before this the humans on Earth, humans 1.0, underwent a vorlon like transformation and became humans 3.0. Now the new humans 3.0 decided that after they had lead humans 2.0 to safety it was time for human 2.0 to live on their own. So humans 3.0 left humans 2.0 to fend for themselves.
Now when human 2.0 reach Earth followed by the Cylons they will find a civilization so far in advanced that they can barely comprehend them. Humans 3.0 will simply tell them there is nothing for them at Earth and they cannot interfere in their affaires. They will send humans 2.0 to their fate.
As for the thirteenth tribe, they didn't go discover Earth, they just went home.
Parent
Re:Battlestar Craptastica (Score:4, Funny)
Parent
As if it wasn't overstreched already... (Score:5, Insightful)
They're going to try to milk it way after its expiration date.
And here I was with such great hopes after the last finale.
I quit BSG when they cured the president's (Score:4, Interesting)
Re: (Score:2, Funny)
Re:I quit BSG when they cured the president's (Score:5, Funny)
I don't have a problem with a Cylon based cure. It would have been more interesting to have the president need to eat Cylon fetus periodically to stay alive. Then there would always be an edgy back story about her looking for her next fix.
Parent
Hopefully things will continue to turn around (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Hopefully things will continue to turn around (Score:5, Insightful)
Right now, the Cylons seem not to have any motivation. They wanted to eliminate humanity because, after the last war, they saw it as an 'us or them' situation in the long run, and decided in favour of their own survival. A perfectly logical (if somewhat cold) decision for a civilisation to make.
Now, they want to find Earth because...? They don't seem to consider destroying the Galactica a priority anymore, which is fine. It's not really a threat, and by the time it is even in the position to form a self-sustaining colony the Cylons could have spread out over hundreds of systems. Their growth rate is exponential, and they have a significant head-start on the humans now they've destroyed the twelve colonies. It doesn't seem likely that humanity could ever threaten more than a few percent of the Cylon race again.
But, they want to find Earth. Because, uh, actually, I have no idea. I'm not sure that the writers do either. The Cylons just aren't a believable enemy unless they have some motivation for their actions, and right now they don't seem to. Maybe it will be revealed later, but I don't hold out much hope.
Parent
Re:Hopefully things will continue to turn around (Score:5, Informative)
During the first season commentary, the producers explain that the entire bit on Caprica was basically done because it was cool. The producer who came up with it (I can't remember which one) had no idea where it was going or why Sharon showed up again on Caprica, he just "thought it would be cool." As the story progressed, they eventually hit on the idea of Cylons trying to procreate, which has never really been well explained.
So, yes, I expect you're completely correct - the writers are doing this by the seat of their pants and have no idea where it's going either. The Cylons may have a plan, I just wish they'd share it with the writers...
Parent
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Because they want to wipe out ALL of humanity and not just the other colonies? They are afraid that if they don't chase down earth and get rid of all humans, it will come back to haunt them?
If this is the case, it makes perfect sense to just follow Galactica until they've found earth and then kill everyone.
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Terrorism in space (Score:4, Interesting)
Re: (Score:2)
Anyway, I didn't enjoy watching this, and stopped before I got to the end. Aside from find it somewhat depressing, part of the problem is that it specifically reflected American society, and
Re: (Score:2, Informative)
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
Doomed to mediocrity (Score:3, Insightful)
I wish they'd wrap up the show and stop it when they've run out of material and said what they want to say. But even the best show is doomed to drag on our screens, while the rating brings in ad money. It's so sad.
It was especially harsh and sad in Prison Break, originally an amazing 14 episode mini-series. Then in the last moment extended to a full season ("oh shit they changed the pipes, well all we did for 14 episodes now doesn't make a damn sense, does it"), and then to a second season ("don't move or I'll use my tattoo against you! i'm not afraid to!").
Too Bad. (Score:3, Insightful)
I am a huge, huge fan of BSG (warts and all) and was actually happy to see the earlier report that the 4th season would be the end. I am one who thinks the writers would be doing a better job if they knew what the hell the point of each episode should be.
Tricia Helfer (Score:5, Funny)
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
It should definitely be Grace Park instead. Hubba HUBBA!
Open Ended? (Score:2, Interesting)
Inaccurate Story (Score:3, Informative)
Big babies (Score:5, Insightful)
Moore's Podcast? Anyone? (Score:5, Informative)
BSG doesn't know how to get to its 'ending'. (Score:3, Insightful)
The last two seasons, particularly the 3rd, have left me hugely frustrated. The show had so much promise at the start, good cast, gorgeous effects, an interesting plot etc. But it seems to me they just don't know what to do with it all, they have their 'ending' worked out, no doubt, but they just don't seem to know how to flesh out the bit known as the middle.
They should have planned this out episodically before filming ever began (like JMS did with B5). Not only would it have ensured consistency throughout (read less filler), but it would also have given them an exact number of seasons to aim for and enable them to better budget themselves as well. As I recall Bab5 was consistently *under* budget as a result of the excellent planning which no doubt ensured that it got it's intended 5 seasons, despite some doubts around Season4. Given how exec's like axing sci-fi, being prudent would be a top priority to me.
I really feel there will be a truckload more filler next season if it isn't the finale. I would rather they just let Zoic create a whole batch of 45 minute space combat sequences, if they can't come up with anything better than love triangles etc - But that would destroy the budget... so no doubt were going to be subjected to more 'Whose in Lee's bed tonight' episodes. At least they blew up the Pegasus, or no doubt they'd go through half a dozen new captains for her as well.
Prattlestar Dramatica (Score:3, Informative)
Battlestar started off very well. It was fascinating. It was science fiction, emphasis on the science. Then apparently some network dickhead told the writers that they needed to, I don't know, attract more girls, or go more mainstream, or "be more like that Scrubs program". All of a sudden whole segments of the show turned from space opera to soap opera.
After that, I stopped watching. Call me too much of a male geek, but I don't watch SF for stories about relationships that take place in a futuristic setting.
--Rob
Re:I'm sure this will upset people but please end (Score:2)
Re:I'm sure this will upset people but please end (Score:2)
Please, I overall enjoyed B5, but--IMHO--seasons 1+5 were awful.. and the entire series had HORRIBLE dialogue and acting! The plot etc was badass, but I still *shudder* thinking of some of the acting+humor moments etc.
Did Ron Morre kill your dog? (Score:5, Informative)
Parent
Re: (Score:2)
Look, I loved Babylon 5. I even liked season 5, and consider the hate it gets to be typical mobthink (notice how other fans always append "except season five" like a mantra).
I can assure you that I was quite capable of being disappointed by the fifth season without anyone else's input.
It suffered because JMS was forced to move the main story-arc's endings to season four, leaving season five feeling like it had been tacked on. I appreciate that some storylines/hanging threads were left for season five as originally intended, but the main story was over, and the impetus was no longer there.
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
Part of it was Ivanova leaving the show: JMS had spent the last 4 seasons dropping hints about her latent telepathy and hatred of the Psi Core, and then, when she left, one of the major players in the Telepath War wasn't there, and couldn't figure out how to tell the story without her.
I'm hoping the Lost Tales will wrap up a few pieces of that storyline somewhere.
Re:I'm sure this will upset people but please end (Score:2)
I suggest you not watch lost or other TV shows then. All this "amateur" camera work started with the siezure cam used in the Bourne Supremacy and is incredibly "popualr" right now.
They completely destroyed that movie with the stupid "we cant afford a tripod" film style.
Re: (Score:2)
If their only concern was to make money, then I'd say they accomplished their goal.
Re: (Score:2)
I think you mean "point of diminishing returns."
Re: (Score:2)
Re:Good, now just go back to blowin shit up, dammi (Score:5, Insightful)
Parent
Re: (Score:2)
Re:Good, now just go back to blowin shit up, dammi (Score:4, Funny)
I think I should ask them if they hire new writers.
Parent
Re:Good, now just go back to blowin shit up, dammi (Score:4, Funny)
Sounds like you write for them already.
Parent
Re: (Score:2)
Space fights take lots of money to make. Explosions are expensive, no matter whether they're real or CGI. So they create fillers. The cheapest fillers are those where you can rely solely on props and effects you already have. The first BSG consisted mostly of battle scenes from the 2 first movies, the "new" scenes were almost entirely simple scenary shots, or shots that don't require any new props.
Now, that doesn't necessarily mean that the show has to suck, plot-wise. I'm pret
Totally offtopic I know... (Score:2)
This show has it all, story arches, developed and complex characters, great sets and special effects for Rome & battle scenes.
I really don't care how historically accurate the show is, it has a certain pulse and it works.
Most importantly, like all HBO productions it has a kick ass PLOT.
Granted, the requisite T&A per episode is always welcome, as is the (suitably) somewhat gratuitous violence on occasion
Rome was good,....Deadwood = Awesome (Score:2, Offtopic)
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Good, now just go back to blowin shit up, dammit!
Maybe this was a joke, but it exemplifies the problem with a lot of modern genre fandom. "Eeeew! Drama! Eeeew! Humanity and emotional stuff! Eeeeew! Icky girls!" It's this sort of thing that keeps SF and fantasy so marginalized.
And while season 3 had some weak points, this whole WORST SEASON EVER stuff is so silly. Seriously, a lot of folks here are The Comic Book Guy incarnate.
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Meanwhile, BSG has been dark moment after dark moment. You can't tell me that nobody ever does a shaving cream joke on a pilot while he/she's in their rack, that nobody hops into a Viper to find a waiting whoopy cushion, that nobody pranked Tigh by replacing his precious booze with *gasp* water?
I mean, come ON people, just b
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
I also remember one scene I really like. I think it was Laura, Lee and his father cleaning the dishes after an eating with Tigh and his wife and I think Laura said something like "I think this one is not right for him. She makes him drink all the time and is miserable. I think he'd be better off without her." And th
Re: (Score:3, Funny)